Thursday, November 19, 2015

EMPRESS OF STORMS by NICOLA M. CAMERON

Fantasy Romance, Erotic Romance, MF

Word Count: 83,000

Heat Level 4

Published by Belaurient Press

ISBN: 978-1-31-069790-6

BLURB:

A king
who must offer himself as royal consort to fulfill a treaty. A young queen and
mage, unexpectedly married to the man she’s loved since childhood. Two
countries, divided by geography and united by a political marriage, are poised
on the brink of a golden age. But will vicious magic and unexpected betrayal
tear both the royal couple and their kingdoms apart?

When
King Matthias of Ypres has to fulfill a treaty and provide a royal consort for
young Queen Danäe of Hellas, the only royal available for marriage is … him.
Can he risk letting a blue-haired witch queen into his heart?

From
political necessity, Queen Danäe finds herself marrying the man she secretly
loves. Now she must win the heart of a king, prove herself as a mage, and
defeat the enemies that threaten them both.

“So I gathered. You’re different as well. And I’m very pleased with that.” She reached
out and tugged at a curl of his chest hair. “So, shall we try this again?”

“I think we should.” He held up the taper. “With the light or without?”

“With, if it’s all the same to you. I want to enjoy the sight of my new
husband.”

“I suspect I’m the one who will be doing the bulk of the enjoying, but as you
wish.” Matthias put the candle back on the side table. He was now cast in
shadow, but Danaë could still see him well enough. He slid down until he was on
his side facing her. “I’m afraid I’m out of practice with bedroom matters. What
would you like to do now?”

She thought. He hadn’t kissed her yet, at least not above the collarbones. “I’d
like a proper kiss. The one you gave me after the ceremony may have been
acceptable for public consumption, but I hope it’s not how you kiss in
private.”

“It isn’t.” He moved closer, stroking her shoulder with a finger. “And my
apologies for that. I suspect I’ll be apologizing for much of what happened
this day.”

“No apologies are needed if you kiss me.”

He did, a sweet brush of lips that made her mouth tingle with anticipation. The
next kiss caught her lower lip between his. He sucked gently on the plump
flesh, letting it slide free with a soft pop. Their faces were too close to see
him smile, but she could feel it somehow.

“You have honey in your kisses, Danaë,” he murmured.

“Only for you, Matthias.”

“Flatterer.”

She dimpled. “Kiss me again and find out.”

This time his kiss was stronger, hungrier. She responded with an equal need,
cupping his cheeks and immersing herself in the intoxicating taste of
Matthias’s mouth. He tasted of wine and the roast from dinner, and some secret
flavor that was unique to him, something dark and very male. It was perfect,
sating a hunger she hadn’t known she possessed. She fell back against her
pillows and he followed, their tongues sliding against each other in a twisting
dance.

He finally pulled back, gasping. “It’s a good thing I didn’t kiss you like that
earlier today,” he said. “I would’ve taken you in front of the entire
cathedral.”

“Perhaps a bit more than the nobles of Ypres needed to see,” she agreed,
breathless. “Not to mention my brother and Patriarch Reniel.”

Matthias tilted her chin up, nuzzling the soft skin of her jaw. “He would’ve
had me building shrines in atonement to the end of my days. And your brother
would have run me through.”

“Which would have caused an unpleasant international incident.” She arched when
his mouth hit a sensitive spot on her neck. “Not to mention I would have to
have him executed for killing my husband.”

“It’s a good thing we avoided all that, then,” Matthias agreed, licking
delicate spirals on her skin down towards her breast. He stopped at the point
where the flesh began to mound and kissed his way to her nipple. Dragging the
very tip of his tongue around the areola, he then flicked it across the stiff
little nub. “Best we save such things for the privacy of our bed.”

BIO

Nicola Cameron is an
expatriate Chicagoan who has lived in England, Canada, Holland, and Sweden, and
keeps a confusing amalgamation of languages in her head as a result. Currently
located in the clavicle of Texas, she has finally mastered the proper use of
"y'all," much to her Chicago family's dismay.

Despite a healthy interest in
sex since puberty, it wasn't until 2012 that Nicola decided to try writing
about it. As it turned out, the skills she picked up during her SF writing
career transferred rather nicely to erotic romance. When not writing, she
wrangles cats, smooches her husband, makes dolls of dubious and questionable
identity, and thanks almighty Cthulhu that she doesn’t have to work for a major
telecommunications company any more (because there’s BDSM, and then there’s
just plain torture...).